Social Work Student Blogs

Hi! I’m Samantha Bandstra, a social work student at Chicago Semester. After just a few weeks living in the Windy City, I have fallen in love with the city and its people. I assumed that people in Chicago would be too busy to talk, but I was happily surprised when many of the people I […]

HELLO! My name is Bernadette Arthur, and I am a spring 2017 Chicago Semester student. Transitioning from a smaller city like Grand Rapids (where my college Calvin College is) to a larger city like Chicago has been a refreshing experience for me. I grew up in the city of Accra, Ghana, West Africa, and so […]

ENERGY, DIVERSITY, LIFE. The early morning walk to the Clark and Division Red Line isn’t as bad, when I notice the rest of Chicago seems to be awake, rising and shining for the day ahead. I am part of something special. I am part of a community. I catch the train, sit down and look […]

THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO “Eventually, I think Chicago will be the most beautiful great city left in the world.” Frank Lloyd Wright said this of the city he helped shape with his amazing architecture. Millions of people come to admire Chicago every year for its art, food, parks, sports and amazing skyline. However, what brings […]

SARDINES The streets in the Gold Coast are filled with a never-ending flow of people. In the morning, fast walkers swiftly navigate around the more relaxed movers- people walking their dogs, cleaning the sidewalk, perhaps those still trying to become fully awake. There is streamlined movement towards the redline stop at Clark and Division, and […]

A TWO-SIDED STORY The media does a pretty wonderful job of reporting every horrific crime that occurs in Chicago, and I am not here to say that is wrong. It is important for people to be knowledgeable of the events occurring in this city and to be aware of what is going on. I feel […]